


Birthday Surprise

by literaryoblivion



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Vernon Boyd & Erica Reyes, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Birthday, Birthday Presents, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Christmas Presents, Christmas Tree, Cuddling & Snuggling, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Future Fic, Kissing, M/M, POV Derek, Pining, Pining Derek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 00:02:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9046010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryoblivion/pseuds/literaryoblivion
Summary: It had been Stiles who insisted on doing something for Christmas, although, if Derek was being honest with himself, Scott’s puppy dog eyes and Erica’s pout helped things along.
Derek begrudgingly agreed to host the pack Christmas gift exchange/party, but it also happens to be his birthday, which he's pretty sure he's never mentioned to anyone in the pack, so he doesn't expect anyone to know.
Except someone does and surprises him.





	

It had been Stiles who insisted on doing something for Christmas, although, if Derek was being honest with himself, Scott’s puppy dog eyes and Erica’s pout helped things along.

Derek begrudgingly agreed to host the pack Christmas gift exchange party since, as Stiles aptly pointed out, he was the adult one here (the rest of the pack were all well over 18 years old at this point and in their last semesters of college) and had a bigger place (he’d finally bought the Hale property back from the county and built a house comfortable enough for him and a few guests. It wasn’t anything like his old house, which is why he liked it.). It was going to be the first Christmas break that they’d actually all be in Beacon Hills, which means they _had_ to do something, according to Stiles.

And honestly, he didn’t mind having everyone over, he just didn’t know what they were expecting from him as the host. Should he make food and get drinks for everyone? Did he need to decorate? And if so, did it need to be more than a tree in the corner with some lights and homemade snowflakes and plastic balls?

Of course, he should have known better because when he went to ask the questions, Lydia rolled her eyes and said she would take care of things and for Derek to just at least clean and help with heavy lifting if necessary.

It was a huge relief he didn’t have to do anything. He hadn’t exactly celebrated Christmas in awhile other than calling Cora on Skype so they could watch each other open the gifts they mailed each other weeks before and for Cora to teasingly sing happy birthday to him while Derek asked her to please stop. 

His birthday. That’s the other thing… his birthday is on Christmas, and he has long since passed the age where it’s a big deal and now it’s just a sign that he’s older. But, he’s never really told anyone in the pack that that is when his birthday is. He didn’t want them to feel obligated to spend time with him instead of with their families on Christmas, and ever since Laura, he’s never wanted to celebrate his birthday.

He got by fine on his own. He’d spend the day reading, catching up on some shows, indulging himself with a bakery cupcake he bought the day before. The last few years he’s been invited both to the McCall’s and the Stilinski’s to spend Christmas dinner with them, but he’d never really taken them up on the offer. He didn’t want to intrude, and he was comfortable being on his own. 

But, this year, since he was now hosting this pack Christmas party, he’d have to spend Christmas and his birthday with the pack, which wasn’t all that bad the more he thought of it. He loved them like family, and though it’d been awhile since they’d seen each other in person, having them all in one place, specifically his place, would settle something in him and his wolf that he was looking forward to having.

~

A few weeks before Christmas, Lydia, Stiles, and Scott showed up to help Derek put up some lights and decorations because Lydia “didn’t want to wait until the last minute and his house could use some Christmas cheer.” Derek didn’t mind, and he let them do whatever he wanted, offering help and finding things like nails and hooks to hang things. Stiles had already brought over a wreath for the door during Thanksgiving, but with all the other decorations his house was definitely festive. Lydia had even gone to the effort of hanging stockings, one for each pack member along his mantle, and the more Derek stared at them, the more overwhelmed with emotion.

They reminded him of Christmases with his family, of his mom hanging stockings for him and his siblings, adding more when someone new joined their family either by marriage, birth, or pack induction. Some Christmases there wasn’t enough room on the mantle to hang all the stockings of everyone who would be visiting, and they had to hang them on the wall nearby. That wasn’t needed this year for his pack, but Derek couldn’t help but hope a little that same day in the future that might be the case for him, his pack. 

The thought surprised him a little as he hadn’t really thought about the future with his pack in such terms. He usually focused on the present, grateful they were able to get through another day, survive another supernatural enemy or disaster. But, now that they had a better control on things, that they were older and wiser, Derek was able to let himself think about what it would be like to have his pack members get married, have kids, expanding their pack. 

As far as his own future, on whether or not he himself would expanding his pack either with marriage or kids or birth, he had avoided. Cora would ask him every once in awhile if he was dating, if he’d been social with someone other than his pack, and he’d shrug and change the subject. It’s not that he didn’t want that, to have someone to share his life and pack with, it was just a lot to spring on someone, especially someone who had no prior knowledge of the supernatural.

Well, that, and he might have already had someone in mind when he thought of sharing his future with someone.

~ 

Stiles had spent a couple years in Boston for school, but after those two years, he’d decided he’d had enough and that he was transferring somewhere closer to home. He claimed it was because he was homesick, that his dad needed him, that he was better at helping the pack in person with his ever-growing magical skills rather through Skype and poorly explained directions. Whatever the real reason was, Derek didn’t care because secretly he was glad to have Stiles back and close enough to visit and see and smell and touch.

Now that Stiles was close by, Derek saw him frequently. After much prodding and convincing, Derek had become a full-time consultant and honorary deputy for the Sheriff’s department. It really meant that Derek could handle the more unexplainable, supernaturally related cases without the Sheriff fearing sending one of his other deputies who was clueless, but Derek loved it. But, it did mean that he frequently saw Stiles who came by at least once a week if not more to visit his dad and drop off a meal for him. 

He would have ventured to say that before then he and Stiles had at least been friends, but after the few years that Stiles was at home, they had grown close. Before Derek could pretend his attraction to Stiles didn’t exist because Stiles wasn’t around for him to think about it. Now that he saw Stiles all the time, though, it was apparent, and he didn’t quite know what to do about it.

Of course he knew what he _wanted_ to do about it, but he wasn’t sure if the feeling was mutual, and he’d rather be friends with Stiles rather than things not work out between them and have it be awkward for both them and the rest of the pack. He’d heard plenty of stories about breakups causing rifts in packs, and the last thing he wanted was for something to happen because he wanted to date Stiles.

So, he and Stiles remained close but didn’t date, and Derek ignored his feelings and amounting attraction to the man who’d saved his life on multiple occasions, made him laugh and smile with little effort, and understood him and his past.

He knows he has it bad, but he’s fine. He’s been fine, and he’s perfectly okay with living his life this way. It’s good enough and he’s satisfied. Maybe not as happy as he think he could be, but content enough.

~ 

On Christmas Eve, it’s the Sheriff that insists Derek come by for dinner when he’s through with his shift. Stiles had invited Derek a few days before to join them, but Derek had declined, saying he didn’t want to intrude and lied about possibly having other plans. Stiles hadn’t commented on the lie to Derek, but maybe he had to the Sheriff, who was now using his authority as Derek’s boss to get him to come over.

“I still need to finish the paperwork on the Thornton case from last week,” Derek says, refusing to look at the Sheriff’s face because he knows if he does, he’ll say okay.

“Nonsense, Derek. The paperwork will still be there on December 26th, and I know you, and you already have most of it finished anyway. You’re making up excuses, and you can’t outsmart the ultimate excuse-maker,” the Sheriff replies with a chuckle.

“I don’t want to intrude. I know Stiles doesn’t get much time with you these days, and--”

Sheriff holds his hand up and says in a firm voice, “You’re coming over, Derek, and that’s an order. Stiles and I would be glad to have you break up our routine of pizza, beer, and _A Christmas Vacation_ just the two of us with your presence.”

His tone brooks no argument, and Derek knows he’s going over to the Stilinski’s. Resigned, Derek asks, “Should I bring anything?” 

The Sheriff gives him a wide grin that reminds Derek of where Stiles gets his from. “I wouldn’t be opposed to some pecan pie and ice cream from Cheryl’s if you get a chance. If it’s too much trouble, don’t worry about it. We’ll have plenty of food.”

Derek nods, and the Sheriff pats his shoulder and tells him he’ll “see him later” as he leaves the station. Derek only has about half an hour more until his shift is through, and he tries to get as much done as he can, before he leaves. When Parrish finally eyes him with a look that says he was supposed to be off 20 minutes ago, Derek sighs and clocks out. 

When he pulls up to the Stilinski house, still warm pecan pie and slightly melted vanilla ice cream in his passenger seat, it’s already dark outside, with several houses along the street lit up with Christmas lights. The Stilinski’s have minimal decorations on theirs: a wreath that almost nearly matches the one Stiles had given Derek, and some laser light machine that projects red and green lights on the front of the house.

He laughs when he walks up to the house when he remembers the argument the Sheriff and Stiles had about the laser lights. Stiles claimed it was safer because it meant he nor his dad were climbing up on any ladders to put up lights, but the Sheriff had said it was just lazy and boring. Stiles had clearly won the argument, since the laser lights were the only outside decor on their house. Maybe next year Derek would volunteer to help put lights up so both Stiles and the Sheriff would be happy. 

It doesn’t register that he’s thought of a future Christmas with the Stilinski’s until he’s knocking on their door, and by then it’s too late to think more on it since the Sheriff is opening the door and ushering Derek inside. He moves further inside and sees Stiles standing by the kitchen counter, open beer in one hand, holding a closed one in the other.

“Didn’t realize it was going to be that kind of night,” Derek says jokingly, nodding at the beers in Stiles’s hands.

Stiles rolls his eyes and holds out the closed one. “This one’s for you, asshole.” There’s no heat in his voice and it comes out more fond than anything.

“Thanks,” Derek says, taking the beer from Stiles and effortlessly pops the top off without any bottle opener. Stiles huffs and shakes his head at the display of strength, but he doesn’t comment on it.

“The pizza should be here soon,” the Sheriff calls from the living room. Derek looks over his shoulder and can see he’s messing with the TV, probably to get their traditional movie started.

“I should put this away,” Derek says holding up the bag of ice cream, hoping it’s not melting more than he originally thought it was. 

Stiles nods and waves him over to the fridge. “Might have to move a few things so there’s room,” Stiles says, opening the freezer portion and shuffling things around before pulling the door back further and pointing to a spot in the corner for Derek’s ice cream.

“Good day at work?” Stiles asks while he watches Derek put the ice cream away and set the pie on the counter next to them. 

“Average. Mostly paperwork today.” 

“Well that’s good. Wouldn’t want something dangerous lurking around right before Christmas.”

“True. How was your day?” Derek knows they’re just making small talk, but it’s nice to have that instead of frantic life or death conversations.

He also can’t help but notice how close he and Stiles are standing next to each other. They could be whispering and they’d both still be able to hear perfectly what the other is saying. Part of him wants to close the distance between them, pull Stiles in by the waist until he’s pressed against him, lean down to kiss his lips.

He doesn’t of course because he and Stiles aren’t anything like that no matter how much he wants it. Their chatter is interrupted by the doorbell, and then by the Sheriff bringing in the pizza to the kitchen. Stiles pulls some plates out and they each take a few slices and their beers into the living room, Sheriff settling in his recliner, and Derek and Stiles on the couch.

The Sheriff already has _A Christmas Vacation_ queued up, and once everyone’s comfortable he pushes play.

By the time they’ve polished off the pizza and had a few beers and a good-sized portion of pecan pie and ice cream (which Stiles glared at the Sheriff about but didn’t comment on), they’re on their third Christmas movie- _-Die Hard_ \--and the Sheriff is dozing in his chair. Stiles sighs and stands up to stretch, collecting the empty bottles from the coffee table to throw out. The Sheriff wakes up at the noise, and rubs his eyes.

“Guess I should sleep somewhere a little more comfortable,” the Sheriff says with a laugh and slowly gets up from his chair.

Derek moves to stand too, guessing it’s time for him to leave as well, only the Sheriff stops him with a hand on his shoulder. 

“You don’t have to leave cause I’m too old to stay awake. You’re welcome to stay, son, finish the movie. I’m sure Stiles would enjoy the company. Glad you came by tonight.”

“Thanks for inviting me,” Derek replies with a nod, settling back into the couch. If he’s honest, he doesn’t particularly want to go home to his empty house just yet.

“Anytime, son.” He pats Derek on the back and yawns before calling out. “Night, Stiles!”

“Night, Dad! Merry Christmas,” Stiles says, coming back into view.

“Merry Christmas to you both,” Sheriff says with a smile before disappearing up the stairs to his room.

“You’re staying, right?” Stiles says, plopping down on the couch right next to Derek.

“I can, if you want me to?”

“Of course I want you to,” Stiles says like it’s obvious and Derek had asked a dumb question. Maybe it was a dumb question. 

Stiles reaches for the remote and pushes play, then settles back against Derek, his head on Derek’s shoulder. This they’ve done before, cuddled, but Derek never took it to mean anything more than it was a comfort thing for Stiles, that he was more settled and less fidget-y if had someone to hold him. And Derek was more than willing to be that someone.

Derek tries to act like this time is not any different than those previous times, but somehow it feels different. Maybe it was how close they had stood in the kitchen, how their hands had brushed when reaching for a slice of pizza or how Stiles had bumped their shoulders together when dishing out the ice cream and pie. All of those things aren’t new, he and Stiles have grown to that level of comfort with each other, but with all those things added up tonight, it makes them seem more significant than just the one-offs they had been previously.

When the credits roll, neither of them move to turn it off. Stiles is a warm line of heat along Derek’s side, and he’d be lying if he said he wanted to move away from it. He didn’t think Stiles was asleep, but he also didn’t act like he wanted to move from his position next to Derek either.

“How sore would we be if we just fell asleep like this?” Stiles finally asks after a few moments of silence, the movie’s title screen displayed on screen.

“Probably enough that we shouldn’t,” Derek answers. 

“You’re just really warm and comfortable. I kind of don’t want to move.”

“You don’t have to.”

“But that leaves you trapped here.”

Derek chuckles. “I’ll let you know if I start to get uncomfortable.”

Stiles nods against Derek’s chest, and Derek tries to not let this whole thing affect him. He looks around the room to distract himself, his eyes landing on the tree nearby, staring at all the ornaments. 

He’s not sure he’s ever really noticed them individually before. He’s seen the Stilinski Christmas tree before, a few years ago he even had to help Stiles get it from the attic because he had wanted to surprise his dad with it and it was a two-man job getting it down. But, seeing it in it’s entirety is different than seeing each individual ornament and wondering it’s origin.

Some of them are plain-colored balls, but there are a few handmade ones that look like Stiles had made when he was two or three. One or two that Derek can see have years on them, one is a baby cradle with the year Stiles was born, and another that’s two penguins kissing with a year that Derek guesses was when the Sheriff and his wife were married. He’s surprised it’s on the tree to be honest; he knows neither the Sheriff or Stiles like to bring up the late Mrs. Stilinski very much, actively avoid mentioning her if they can. Perhaps the tree is their one exception.

“Which one are you looking at?” Stiles asks, voice low and quiet. He must have noticed Derek staring at the tree.

“The penguins. 1990 was when your parents married?”

Stiles nods and shuffles in closer to Derek. “My mom always put that one on the tree first and then my baby one next. Said they were the most important and all the other ones had to go around them.” Derek can hear the sadness in Stiles’s voice, and he tightens his around him.

“Is that how you still put them up?”

“Yeah. Those two are always in the front. It’s… it was the one thing my dad still was okay with doing after she died. It’s not so bad anymore, but that first Christmas after… it was rough.”

Derek knows the feeling. The first Christmas after the fire, it was Laura who insisted they had to get a tree, which wouldn’t have happened if Derek had his way. He didn’t feel like celebrating anything after the fire, and especially not his birthday or Christmas. But in a lot of ways he was grateful on Laura’s insistence, she even tried making a cake for Derek which was so much of a disaster that they ended up on the kitchen floor, smoke everywhere, laughing their butts off. It made him feel better, a little normal, to have that. 

“How old were you when you made the popsicle stick reindeer?” He grins as he points out the lopsided ornament, which only has one googly-eye these days.

Stiles giggles. “I think I was three or four? It was a random craft project my mom had me do to keep me from getting into trouble. I made a lot of them. I think my mom put one on every gift she wrapped for other people. Like I’m pretty sure that Melissa has a similar one on their tree made by me.”

At that Derek laughs, tempted to go over to Melissa’s to see if it’s true. “I remember making this one ornament that was supposed to look like an angel, but it ended up looking more like some deranged bird. Laura had made fun of it so much, but my mom insisted on hanging it on the tree every year.”

He grins to himself at the memory, surprised he was so willing to share it, but in the same term not surprised that the person he chose to share it with is Stiles.

“Did you guys do a lot of homemade ornaments? Do you remember any other ones?” 

“When we were younger my mom always had us make one or paint one for the family tree every year. We had a big fancy tree in the front that had matching ornaments and like priceless, breakable ones. And then we had the family tree where we had all the ones we made.

“I don’t really remember a lot of them, honestly. I’m sure the handmade ones looked similar to yours. There was one though that I remember. My aunt had taken up painting, and so for Christmas one year she had painted an ornament for each of us. One side had our face and the other side was a wolf. Not all of us could shift into a wolf then, so my aunt painted what she thought ours would look like if we could. They were beautiful.”

“Do you think you look like how she painted it?”

Derek closes his eyes and thinks, tries to picture the ornament hanging on the tree, spinning slightly in the breeze, revealing both sides. In his mind he can just make out what the wolf looked like, dark fur, although he thinks his aunt had painted it brown instead of the black it is but he can’t be sure. The eyes though, she had as gold, which doesn’t hold true now. 

“I don’t think so. She got Laura’s pretty close though if I remember right.”

Stiles doesn’t say anything more or asking any more questions, both of them staring at the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree, mesmerized at the light reflecting off the various ornaments.

“It’s late,” Derek says after some more quiet moments. “I should go home.”

“You could stay? If you wanted, I mean. We’ve got a guest room, or… my bed’s big enough to share?” Derek can tell that Stiles is going for casual, but his voice comes out timid and shy toward the end. 

As much as Derek wants to take Stiles up on the offer of sharing his bed, he thinks better of it. “No. Thank you. I told Cora I’d call her in the morning, and we… usually open our presents over Skype and mine’s still back at the house.”

“Oh, yeah, okay,” Stiles says too quickly, standing up from the couch. Derek misses the warmth, but he’s soon mirroring Stiles, standing up and shuffling towards the door to put on his coat and shoes.

Stiles follows him to the door, watching Derek as he gets his things. “I’ll, uh, see you tomorrow?” Stiles asks. 

Derek smiles. “Definitely.”

After a moment of hesitation, Stiles throws his arms around Derek’s neck for a hug. “I’m glad you came over,” he says into Derek’s neck. 

“Me too.” Derek gives Stiles a squeeze before pulling back and opening the door. “Merry Christmas, Stiles.”

“Merry Christmas, Derek.” 

~

Christmas morning is quiet. Derek doesn’t really sleep in anymore, his body to used to getting up early to work out, so he’s up with the sun. He goes for a run in the preserve, and when he returns, Cora is already texting him telling him to get on Skype. It’s afternoon where she is, and she has plans with the pack she’s a part of soon.

Derek showers as quick as he can and connects with Cora on Skype so they can do their traditional Christmas morning over the Internet. There’s always one gift in Cora’s package that’s wrapped in birthday paper instead of Christmas, and Derek saves it to the end while Cora sings him happy birthday. This year she sang it in Spanish, promising next year it would be in Japanese.

They talk a little longer after their presents are open, Cora catching him up with her life and her recent travels, him with his job and his evening spent with the Stilinskis. Cora just smiles, well more like smirks, the whole time he tells it, but she doesn’t comment.

After they say their goodbyes, Derek has the rest of the morning and afternoon to himself before the rest of the pack comes over for their party. He tries to be productive, does a little cleaning, sets out the plates, napkins, and utensils that Stiles had brought over a few days before. Lydia had given him instructions on some of the foods, which needed to thaw, which needed to bake etc.

It’s still too early to start all of that, so he tries to distract himself with reading. He’s not sure why he’s so nervous. He’s had the pack over loads of times before, but somehow this one feels different. More significant. He has all their presents wrapped under the tree already, and he hopes they will like them. He’s not the best with gift-giving, but he tried to pick out thoughtful and useful things for each of them.

Stiles’s gift was the hardest, which sounds ridiculous since out of everyone else, his should have been the easiest. Derek had spent the most time with him recently as opposed to the rest of the pack. But instead of being a piece of cake, he spent hours and hours thinking and researching, trying to pick out the perfect thing for Stiles. 

He’s still not sure it’s perfect, but he’s sure Stiles will love it, appreciate it, and find it useful--a magically enchanted journal that only Stiles and anyone else only Stiles deems appropriate to see. He’s sure Stiles could have made one himself, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

Finally it’s time for him to get started on some of the food, and he follows Lydia’s directions to a T. An hour before everyone’s due to arrive, Lydia shows up, arms full of gifts and from the smell of it even more food. Derek dutifully helps carry them in, and when other pack members start to arrive, he helps them as well.

Soon the presents are overflowing beneath the tree and his house is loud with chatter and laughter and whatever holiday music someone started playing from their phone. Everyone’s there… everyone but Stiles. 

Derek furrows his brow and looks around at the pack gathered in his living room and the kitchen, and Stiles is nowhere to be found. Derek had thought he’d come in with Scott after Lydia came in alone, but now that he thinks of it, Scott had come in with Kira. He tries not to worry, maybe he got hung up with his dad, or waited until the last minute to wrap his presents and was now scrambling to finish them before he came over.

After a little while, at least twenty minutes after everyone else arrived, and Stiles has still not showed, Derek worries more. He texts Stiles, but doesn’t get a reply so he immediately goes to Scott.

“Do you know where Stiles is?” Derek asks, knowing his voice sounds tense.

“He said he had to take care of something first,” Scott answers in the most vague way possible. Derek can’t hear a lie, but the information doesn’t help him.

“What kind of thing? Is it something dangerous? Does he need help?”

Scott shrugs, and Derek is conflicted because of his nonchalance and total calmness about his best friend being late to a party he helped plan. “I’m sure he’s fine, Derek. He’ll be here.” He gives Derek an encouraging smile and pat on the shoulder. It doesn’t relieve any of the tension in Derek’s body, and Scott frowns, noticing.

He sighs before saying, “I know he’s fine, Derek, but if you’re worried, he mentioned about checking something out in the preserve.”

Derek doesn’t even hesitate before he’s grabbing his jacket and shrugging it on as he heads out the door. He can hear the rest of the pack ask confused where Derek is going, that they were going to start opening presents soon, but he doesn’t care. He knows Scott wasn’t lying, but he has to see for himself that Stiles is alright and not doing something stupid. He has a tendency of jumping into a situation and downplaying its seriousness to everyone else, and this could be one of those times.

He stomps out into the woods behind his house, trying to use all his senses to locate Stiles, but all he feels is the cold breeze on his face, and the sound of the dead leaves still clinging to the trees rustling, the smell of them filling his nostrils. He moves further in, changing his initial angry stomping to a cautious stepping, trying not to miss something. It’s no use though, all he can sense is the forest around him, no Stiles.

Continuing despite that, he moves further in, instinctively going to the one location that has taken to be a special spot between he and Stiles--a grove of trees just to the right of a well-worn walking trail. He’s not sure how it ended up becoming “their spot” in his mind, but it ended up being a place he and Stiles would go to decompress after a stressful day or a trying supernatural-related event. It was quiet and secluded--the perfect place to think and be calm. 

As he moves closer to their grove, he notices a light, and as he approaches, he notices there are thousands of white lights all around the trees. Some are wrapped around the trunks of the trees, others around the branches. There are even some that look like icicles, lights moving down thin beams hanging from the trees. It is beautiful and mesmerizing and once Derek is in the thick of it, surrounded by tiny glowing bulbs, he finally sees the tree a few feet away.

This one is unlike the other oak trees--a classic pine tree decorated like a traditional Christmas tree, lights and ornaments and a glowing star on the top. Derek approaches it to get a better look, and he realizes that a few of the decorations look familiar. He almost can’t believe his eyes and steps so that one of the ornaments is right in front of his face, less than a foot away.

It’s the ornament he had described to Stiles the night before, this one is Laura, her younger smiling self painted on. Carefully he reaches out to turn the ornament slightly on the branch to see the other side, and sure enough, there is a wolf with glowing red eyes painted on the other side.

The tears form unbidden in his eyes, and he glances around the tree to see similar ornaments, one for him, one for Cora, his mom, his dad, his brother, even Peter. He knows this has to be Stiles somehow, he’s the only person he’s ever told about the ornaments, but he doesn’t know how he could possibly have replicated them. Further inspection of the tree shows other ornaments he remembers from his childhood, some of the ridiculous handmade ones he remembers painting twenty different colors with his mother’s help.

While he’s looking at the tree, overwhelmed by the memories seeing the ornaments invoke, he sees a reflection in one of them and he turns to find Stiles, a small smile on his face. 

“Hey, big guy,” Stiles says quietly. 

All Derek can say is, “How?” 

Stiles chuckles. “Magic. No really, it was a lot of magic and talking to Cora and a little crystal-ball see into your past sort of thing. But I promise I only used it to see the tree so I could be a little more accurate with the ornaments.”

Derek grins and shakes his head because of course Stiles would go to such great lengths for a present and to do something nice for him. It’s crazy and ridiculous and too much, but Derek loves him all the more for it. 

“I hope this is okay?” Stiles ask, stepping up closer to Derek, firmly in his space.

Derek nods, not trusting himself to open his mouth to reply, still too choked up at the emotions he’s experiencing. He doesn’t realize he’s crying until a gloved hand touches his cheek, wiping away the stray tear. He looks back at Stiles and sees the love and affection he feels for Stiles reflected back to him in Stiles’s eyes. He pulls Stiles in closer, needing to have him in his arms, wanting to kiss him but unsure of the reaction.

 

With a smile, Stiles whispers, “Happy birthday, Derek,” and then swallows Derek’s small gasp of surprise with a kiss.

The kiss is sweet and long, and although not exactly chaste and innocent, it’s not dirty either. It’s perfect and meaningful and holds the promise of something more. It takes everything in Derek not to want to continue it forever, to chase after Stiles’s mouth when their lips part.

Instead, he rests his forehead against Stiles’s. “Thank you,” he whispers, then pulls back to look at Stiles when he asks, “How’d you know?”

He can feel the laugh Stiles lets out in his chest, and it’s warming. “You mean about your birthday? I’ve known for a while buddy. Why do you think I always try to invite you over every Christmas? I just figured you didn’t like thinking about it, so I never pushed the issue. But I heard from Cora that she gets you something every year anyway, and I wanted to… do something for you, too.”

“I… thank you.”

Stiles grins. “You already said that.”

Derek rolls his eyes. “Well, I’m saying it again.”

Stiles holds up his hands. “Alright. You’re welcome, then.” He steps back from Derek and holds out his hand. “Come on, I’m sure everyone’s wondering where we are. They’ve probably even started the presents without us because they’re so damn impatient.”

He takes hold of Stiles’s hand, linking their fingers together, but stops, looking back at the tree with all the ornaments.

Seeming to read his mind, Stiles says, “Don’t worry about it. The ornaments are real, and I’ll get them taken care of so we can put on our tree next year.” 

Derek’s heart skips a beat when Stiles says “our tree,” but he tries to calm down, realizing Stiles must have meant the pack tree and he shouldn’t be getting ahead of himself. They have a year before that point, and a lot could happen in a year, yes, but he hopes it’s all good things--that in a year the “our tree” could mean his and Stiles’s instead of the pack. But he can wait, he can see what happens, and he can hope because for the first time in a long while he feels confident in this relationship despite how new it might seem.

But really, they’ve spent years getting to this point, and it’s only logical for them to take this next step.

“I can hear you thinking too much,” Stiles says, interrupting Derek’s thoughts.

Derek looks down sheepish, and Stiles huffs and pulls Derek in for another kiss. “It’s been a long time coming, I know, but you know how much I love you already, right? I don’t cuddle during _Die Hard_ with just anyone.”

The laugh bubbles out of him, and Derek feels all warm inside and it feels natural and right when he says, “I love you, too.”

The wide grin Stiles gets at the words is blinding, and Stiles throws his arms around his neck to kiss him again.

They stop when both their phones buzz: the pack wondering where they are and that if they don’t come back in the next five minutes they get to keep the presents meant for them. They both shake their heads at that, but they chase each other back to the house where the rest of the pack has a birthday cake with way too many candles (because how old is he anyway? No one knows) waiting for Derek.

It’s the best Christmas and birthday Derek’s had in a long time, and he can’t wait for next year’s.

**Author's Note:**

> The beautiful art is by [inkforwords](http://inkforwords.tumblr.com) and I'm so grateful for her wonderful idea and hope my fic did it justice!
> 
> Come say hi on [my tumblr](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com) or [my twitter](http://twitter.com/lit_oblivion).


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